FreshConnect Fellowship 2023 Application

Description:

The FreshConnect Fellowship is a great way to further your involvement in Hillel, gain leadership skills, network with Michigan students, and take a hands-on role in creating the Jewish community YOU want to be a part of on campus. 

FreshConnect Chairs - leaders from the class of 2025 (~4 people)

FreshConnect Fellows - leaders from the class of 2026 (~20-30 people)

FYSH- events and opportunities for first year students (2026/2027)

The FreshConnect Fellowship is the right fit for you if:

• You are looking to take on a more significant involvement in Hillel
• You are excited to meet and build community with Jewish students, including those from different backgrounds, social circles, involvements on campus, etc.
• You are interested in mentorship opportunities, both in being mentored and in serving as a mentor
• You like free coffee/tea/Joe's pizza
• You like to have fun!

What does the fellowship look like?

• Getting coffee with at least 2 Jewish freshmen a month (not your best friends and not people already super involved at Hillel!) we will talk more about who/how/when/why coffee on Dec 4th 
• Helping plan events! We will brainstorm together the types of events we want to have for the semester and then create a committee for each event. Each committee will have 1 chair and 2-5 fellows. You will meet according to your own schedules before the event. Once the event is done, you can join a new committee! 
  
  • ex: there can be a committee for people who plan the freshmen passover seder! You will decide on a time that works best for everyone on the committee, meet 2-4 times before passover & then help lead the event! 
  • ex: there can be a south quad committee for March! You will decide on a time that works best for everyone on the committee, meet 2-4 times in Jan/Feb & then help lead the event in March! 
• there will be one committee that plans the welcome retreat & welcome week events but everyone will be expected to help lead the events in August! 
• regular lunch meetings as a cohort!
• helping organize anything else you think the class of 2026 would benefit from! 

Commitment (December 2022 to welcome week 2023)

Plan on committing 2 hours a week to this fellowship for the next year! Some potential responsibilities may include 

• meeting 2x a month with all chairs and all fellows (Sunday lunchtime) 
• joining at least one event planning committee for the semester & attending those meetings
• attending at least 4 shabbat dinners at Hillel throughout the semester 
• attending the events we plan (schmoozing with freshmen you don't know, helping set up and clean up etc)
• recruiting new Jewish freshmen to the Hillel community (texting people to invite them to events, coffee)
• engaging with Jewish freshmen already connected to Hillel (getting coffee with people, helping connect them to groups they would enjoy at Hillel)
• serving as a representative of your class 
• serving as a representative of Hillel
• attending all of the welcome week events we plan for freshmen August 2023
• anything else Sarah/the chairs ask for! This is a new structure for the fellowship so we will be finalizing roles & opportunities as we go!

Leadership opportunities after welcome week might include 

• staying on to help plan events with/for the class of 2027
• mentoring freshmen from the class of 2027
• applying to be a Hillel connect fellow (getting coffee and planning events for the general community, not just freshmen) 
• applying to be a leader for another Hillel group or committee  

Application timeline: 

Nov 20- application closes (11:59pm)

Nov 28-Dec 1 - coffee conversations at Starbucks (south u)

if accepted, save the date for Dec 4 - first fellowship meeting 12-1 at Hillel (lunch provided) and latkes in the dorm at 1:30!